I saw Dunkirk yesterday.
You are either going to hate it or love it. Count me as loving it.
First, there is no CGI. That alone is refreshing.
Second, it is authentic. Filmed at Dunkirk. Used boats that actually were at Dunkirk. And real dogfights.
It is the viewpoints from three different people: on the land, the sea and the air. It covers three personal aspects that were part of the entire operation: fear (the land guy), dedication (the sea guy) and bravery (the air guy). The land guy went through many fearful encounters. But his fear wasn't cowardice - he was innovative.
It is pure action, from start to finish. No side stories. No character development. Yet, it is an intelligent movie.
The dogfight scenes are AMAZING. I found myself leaning in my seat to try and steer the planes to line up a shot.
Why might you hate it?
- the plot line isn't linear. It is three different points of view that all connect with each other. But not in chronological order. Think of it as three different movies mixed together.
- there is little dialogue and some of what there is, is hard to understand because of background noise. Welcome to war.
- you don't see any Nazis. Nazis are easy to hate, but without actually seeing an antagonist, it may be hard to connect with the movie. Again, this is authentic; only a small percentage of those at Dunkirk actually saw a German.
I recommend that you see it in IMAX. Be prepared for loud background noise. Go to the bathroom before it starts. Let me know what you think.